My cat is almost 17 years old....Is that Odd???

Question

Hes never even been to the vet... Ive had him since i was 5.. I think its awesome..but odd! ANyone else have old cats??? =o)

The answers are very heartfelt and informative! =o) Thank You so much! Im glad to see that other people have had or currently do have older cats! =o)

Answer 1

Good job! The cat was taken care of very well, and he really really likes your family. I had a cat that lived up to 25 years... God I miss that cat.

Answer 2

No it's not really that odd. Housecats can live to be 21 yrs old as long as they stay healthy. The average life expectancy of a cat is around 15 - 18 yrs old though, so your friend is getting up there in years. Stray cats only live on average a couple years, due the hazards of other animals and disease.

My grandmother has 2 cats that are 16 yrs old from the same litter.

Answer 3

Never been to a vet? Than you're really lucky he lived that long. You must have taken great care of him at home and he must have some good healthy genes as well.
My old cats lived to be 18 and 21 (I got them when I was 5!). They got your basic vet care, spayed and vaccines. (alot of advancements have been made since then especially in nutrition). It is considered pretty old for a cat, 12-14 is more usual. But with good vet care and good care from owners throughout their life it's not that unusual to see cats over 16. Genetics also plays a part, certain genetic disease can affect them, I unfortunately lost my cat Lucy at age 4 to a rare genetic kidney disorder. My other cats are 8 and 10, in great health, eat a great diet and see the vet regularly. I certainly hope they live as long.

Answer 4

Wow ,
I just had to have my dear cat of 17 years put to sleep on Thanksgiving Night.. The Whole Family Was Just Heartbroken, She was really a big part of the family.. She would have been 18 yrs in March of 07'.. She had begun acting different earlier that day , and by the evening she appeared in pain,, We rushed her to an emergeny animal hospital , being it was on a holiday not much was open,, They said she was in terrible pain and her major organs were failing.. I couldn't see letting her be in such pain, but It was a hard decision to make .. Especially with my little grandson there telling the vet, he had to come to help bring the cat back home because she didn't like to stay away from home overnight that she might get scared ...

Good Luck With Your Cat

Great Question

.
HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!!!!!!

.

Answer 5

no, that's not odd at all. a healthy cat can live to be over 20 sometimes. I've had a couple live to their late teens. You obviously take good care of your cat, but I'd suggest taking your cat to the vet for regular check ups...especially at his age. It IS odd to never take your cat to the vet at all. I hope he'll still be "awesome" for some time to come!

Answer 6

No, that is not odd at all. My Aunt had at least a couple of cats that lived to be 18 years old and I had a couple that lived to be 19 years old. There have been cats that have lived until they were 30 years old. So, not odd at all. :o)

Answer 7

When I was a kid we had a cat that lived to be 21. He lived outside in a barn his whole life and never went to the vet and was never sick. My aunt has a cat that is 17. They usually don't live that long but that's great. I hope you still have years left with him. :)

Answer 8

I've had one that lived to be 17½ before feline CRF took her life, and another that lived to almost be 17 before a tumor struck her down. I've had many friends with cats that are in their early 20's - one living to be as old as 25! With better meds, better vets, and better food - even a cat can live to be very old and have a happy and healthy life.

Answer 9

The cat that I live with (she thinks she owns the house) is almost 17 years old too!

Answer 10

Depends on the cat, I had a friend who had her cat die at the age of 22. That is not the usual at least in most homes.